26 | SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022 
 
 
 
 

ners like Keep Growing Detroit 
again. 
Jillian’s mom, Caren Vondell, 
says while her daughter is active 
in a lot of activities in school, 
she keeps PeerCorps high on 
her priorities. 
“Volunteering in a 
Jewish organization that 
helps in Detroit gives her 
a feeling of community, 
involvement, importance and 
accomplishment different than 
rowing and dance and theater 
at school. She likes having 
something separated from her 
immediate school community 
that’s also important to her.
”
Naveen, who’s also active in 
his school activities and sports, 
says he always makes time for 
PeerCorps.
“I’m involved with the NHS 
(National Honors Society) at 
school where I’m required to 
get service hours,
” Naveen said.
“But the service hours I 
would do in our community 
would be with school drives 
or a company or something. 
With PeerCorps, I get to choose 
some of my opportunities, and 
I feel better about the volunteer 
experience because I get to help 
people directly in Detroit.
” 
Naveen learned about 

PeerCorps while he was in 
middle school when he was 
an active member at Temple 
Shir Shalom and started 
volunteering in programs when 
he was in seventh grade. Now, 
as a high schooler, Naveen 
continues to dedicate his time 
to PeerCorps. 
“Naveen attended the most 
sessions out of all our teens, 
which was amazing considering 

he is extremely active in 
extracurriculars at school,
” 
Feldman added.
“His dedication to showing 
up each month and giving his 
all at our learning sessions and 
our volunteer opportunities is 
truly inspiring.
”
Naveen says there are a lot 
of opportunities throughout 
the year to get involved in and 
that it’s always different. He 

encourages other teens to get 
involved if they can. 
“We have done things with 
a local food pantry, and we get 
to work with our hands on a 
community farm or garden,
” 
Naveen explained. “In the past, 
I have worked on renovation 
projects and worked with small 
businesses in Eastern Market.
”
The volunteer experiences 
are never boring and always 
are a good experience, Naveen 
added. He hopes to continue 
volunteering and helping the 
community throughout his life. 
Naveen’s dad, Bruce Jackson, 
says he’s always tried to teach 
the value in giving back. 
“We have tried to instill in 
Naveen the importance of being 
a complete person, that to live 
a meaningful life he needs to 
be of service to others. I think 
his participation in PeerCorps 
shows that he has been 
listening,
” Jackson said. 
PeerCorps High is thrilled to 
have Jillian and Naveen back on 
their cohort this year. 

If you’re interested in joining PeerCorps 

High, you can apply at www.tfaforms.

com/5008734. Applications are open 

until Sept. 29. To learn more about 

Repair the World and its programs 

head to werepair.org.
Jillian, left, and other volunteers sort seeds and create plantable seed 
strips in a community garden in Detroit.

At Elu V’Elu, teens 
learn about a social 
issue topic.

continued from page 24

OUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERS OF THE WEEK

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